The Wild Swans
by eatsyourface
Summary: The Silver Millenium has long since ended, the rulers of Crystal Tokyo long dead. Now it is time for Sailor Cosmos to tell her story of love, heart break, and devotion lasting through all time...
1. Chapter 1

_The Wild Swans  
by Seito no Senshi _

"Pluto. Please remember me. Please remember us all. This is our story to tell, mine, yours, and Minako's and the others, Endymion and the General's, and everybody else. Please remember us." 

**Chapter 1**

"How to describe Serenity. Serenity of the moon. Is it even possible? Perhaps, but then again, words cannot do her justice. The Queens of the moon have always been called Serenity, and they have always shone as brightly as the brightest star, but among them, Serenity shone the most. 

"Close your eyes, and listen carefully. Think of a young girl, 15 years old. She is a tiny girl, with no visible curves, but it is quite obvious that time will be kind to her; will do her wonders. She has long, silver hair done up in two buns on her head, and large, innocent blue eyes the color of the summer sky. Her lips are like a tiny rosebud on her face. She has skin the color of porcelain and she is always smiling. But, if her friends cry, then so will she. 

"Can you picture her? 

"Perhaps not. Ami of Mercury was the one with the skill of words. 

"But perhaps you could imagine Serenity's personality. She is rather innocent, and blind to what the world is like. Or so it seems. She has a strong belief that anybody can follow the light, that anyone can be good. Academic wise, she may not be the most intelligent. But, perhaps, she is the wisest among us. Perhaps, among us, she is the only one who could understand any other. 

"Can you imagine her?" 

********** 

_I look back now, back into the distant past, and I think of myself as a girl. It's hard to. It has been so long, that I must look back, look as far back as possible and try to see how things were. Often, when I do, I close my eyes and try as hard as I can to clear my mind. Clearing my mind. It's not that difficult. _

Serenity, the Me of the past, is young, surrounded by friends that she cherishes. She has a hope, of going to Earth. Of being able to walk under the sun, breathe in fresh air, feel the true winds, to see life in all its natural glory. She has a hope, that all can live happily together, in goodness. 

I sat at the bench, watching Makoto stirring vigorously with the wooden spoon. She concentrated on her task, but she was also listening to Ami tell the story "Distant Sky King, Mature Sea King" yet again. We all were. It was a beautiful love story. A very famous one as well, and no matter who told it, it always brought tears to the eyes of the listeners and to the teller as well. 

_"...They could not see each other up close, for both were forbidden to leave their stations. Indeed, Uranus was not aware that there was a second soldier until one day, she heard music. It was quite far away, and she wondered how she heard it. It was a violin, and it was singing a mournful tune of loneliness..."_

My friends and I loved listening to Ami tell stories. She was magic in that, weaving words into a bright tapestry of love, and beauty, and life. She was so pretty, with shoulder length hair the color of water and eyes like… like warm ice. She was so very shy though, and quite unaware of the beauty she possessed. Ami was also very intelligent, very book smart, in all subjects. She often spent long hours each evening holding a debate with one of our tutors, or concentrating grimly on a game of chess, or reading. She was never caught breaking her rules, and Minako despaired of her. 

_"You must live a little,"_ she'd say. But Ami would only smile and shake her head. She had a small lap top that she could be found continually tapping on, as she worked out some problem of hers, or worked on a program. And Ami as Sailor Mercury... she was the "brain" of our team. Our strategist. You could always count on her to come up with some brilliant plan that would ensure that our goal was reached with the least bloodshed. Or some sort of defensive plan. Zen, their training master said that Ami was rather lacking in physical attacks, though her defense tactics were unrivaled. Her strength lay in her mind, and in her defense techniques. In her own way, Ami was quite a formidable warrior. 

Makoto had stopped stirring, as she listened carefully to Ami. I poked her arm gently, and she made a face at me, before getting out the buttered pan and pouring the cake batter into it. 

_"… She was puzzled by that tune. She did not know where it came from, or who played it. Uranus wondered what she should do. She listened to the music for days. It would occasionally stop for periods of time, as if the musician was resting, before starting up again…"_

I smiled dreamily, as I thought of the delicious cake that would soon come. Makoto, the master chef. She was a very motherly sort of person. Cooking and gardening were her passions, no matter how unconventional they were, and the slightest spot of dust was enough to make her have kittens left and right. 

Makoto the chef was very different to Sailor Jupiter the Sailor Soldier. In many ways, her civilian self contradicted her Soldier's self. She was a very powerful fighter, both strong magically and physically, and skilled in the martial arts. Her attacks were definitely something a sane person would not want to get caught up in. You did not cross Sailor Jupiter, and live to tell the tale. Men were often intimidated by her, because she was so tall and so powerful. Because of that, they never truly noticed her beauty, or her kind nature. She had the loveliest emerald green eyes, and brown hair that was more often than not, tied up in a ponytail. 

Rei rolled her eyes lightly at me, before turning her attention back to Ami. 

_"… One day, Uranus decided to try and find it. She would not leave her grounds, of course. She would merely find the area on the planet closest to the music. Doing so would give her a chance to scout the planet, as well as checking the skies for any incoming 'visitors.'"_

I always admired her. She was very beautiful, and quite mysterious to those who were not close to her. All my friends were very attractive girls but it was so true that if you saw them in a group together, it would be Rei that shone. Her luxurious violet hair and matching mysterious eyes with her shapely figure stood out among everything else. When I first met her, she was very withdrawn but she opened up gradually, under all our attention. Rei was the one in the group who took no nonsense no matter what. She was a very cold, logical person, it would seem. 

I can remember one day, after I had an argument with her. I asked her, _"Why are you so cold?"_ She did not answer me, just walked away and I can remember that crushing feeling inside that I had failed again to draw her out. She was a loner. She hardly laughed. Later, I heard her talking to Luna, one of my father's advisors. 

_"You must not act like that. People do not know what to do because they know not how to act in front of you. They are in awe of you, because of your beauty and your powers and your status. Your attitude does not help them. Do you dislike the Princess? She seems to think you do."_

And Rei said to her, a burning look of passion in her eyes, _"She need not think that of me."_

Sailor Mars was a powerful warrior, learned in the mysteries of the occult. She would be one of the first to fight, and had there been a chance, she would've been the first to die. She was ever married to her duty from the very day she was born. 

And Minako. Minako, the Princess of Venus. 

_"…When she looked up, in the far, far distance, she saw a tall figure, playing the violin. Her eyes were closed, and her shoulder-length aquamarine hair settled around her shoulders, framing a pale, attractive face. Uranus stared, in spite of herself…"_

People said that we could've been twins, if it weren't for our different hair colors and styles. While mine was silver, hers was the color of light gold. She kept her hair loose, with a large red bow in it while I had mine in two buns. Our eyes were very similar and so were almost anything physical about us. Minako was always so cheerful, always smiling no matter what. She was able to cheer up the gloomiest person alive. But on the battlefield, Sailor Venus was death on two feet. She was very fit athletically, and very quick, and I am sure I heard Zen mentioning once in passing that perhaps her magical attacks were the strongest of them all. 

_"…All of a sudden, the figure looked up, lowering her arms. She stared straight at Uranus, and smiled slightly, almost, shyly. Uranus frowned slightly, dismayed that she had been seen. But, she bowed, studying the stranger's profile carefully, before taking her leave."_

They were my friends. As well as my friends, they were my guardians. I'd known Minako the longest, then Ami, then Rei, and then Jupiter, but we were so close together it wasn't funny. The five of us lived at the palace, obviously, me being the Princess of a Royal family that went back plenty of generations – enough for it to matter – and them being the same, as well as the mythical soldiers of their respective planets. 

It was a good life. We were happy, and I think I can safely say that so were the rest of our subjects. My father made sure that nobody starved, and that everybody was at least educated in the basics of writing, reading, etc. If there was any trouble, he knew about it, and the problem was solved. 

Our home was a lovely place to be in. I will admit now, though, that its beauty was nothing compared to that of the Earth we orbited. That planet was perfect for supporting all kinds of life. The moon, however, had no atmosphere and among other scientific factors that Ami mentioned, living on the moon would've been near impossible if not for the power of the Mystical Silver Crystal. This jewel would seem at first glance, just a large piece of expensive stone, but it was much more then that. The Mystical Silver Crystal had been passed down generation to generation in my family for more years then one could remember. Now, the crystal was the key to our survival. Without it, no crops could be grown for food. No Earth to breathe. Everything was basically artificial. Even the very breeze that caressed us. 

I rarely ventured out the palace grounds. I wasn't allowed; my father forbade it. As it was, I already had Minako and the others, and my studies. The free time I had though, was mostly spent in the royal gardens where we relaxed under the sun. If not, it was spent in the training courts where I watched the others, and talked with Luna and or Artemis, or both. Spending time at the courts gave the handsome young men there plenty of time to approach my friends. I remember one man called Adonis. He was a very shy sort of person. He never approached Minako, but all of us with the exception of Minako herself could tell that he was in love with her. He always watched her from afar, and he always ignored his friends encouraging words. He was just too shy. 

Ami spent plenty of time in the library, and we would usually accompany her, fooling around if she was playing chess with somebody or discussing philosophy with the librarian. 

But, the best times were always when we were at night, where we could watch Earth. A beautiful planet that I had always wanted to visit. 

My father was quite against this of course. We had often watched the Earth people, setting them on the right track (meddling some liked to call it) when it was needed – but we were not trusted, and the favor was returned. 

And, I guess this brings me to my father. 

I suppose that in away, my friends made up for the loss of my mother, and the absence of my father in my life. 

My mother died while giving birth to me. I have only a silver locket with her picture in it to remember her by. Luna and Artemis, my father's two closest advisors, told me about her whenever they could. They dared not; not in my father, Ciel's, presence. 

_"Your mother was a beautiful woman. She was kind to anybody, and it can be said that all her subjects loved her. So did your father." _

"Though she was strong in spirit, in the end, her body was too small to sustain the pain of childbirth. But as she lay there, she asked to hold you. And she looked upon you with such love in your eyes as she named you Serenity." 

"Child, don't think that you are the cause of anything bad. You were your mother's joy, and her hope. She lives on in you. Do not forget that." 

"You take after her, you know. You are so similar to her in looks and spirit." 

My father Ciel was a good ruler. He could've been a good father, except that he was never able to get over the death of my mother. He was a very handsome, tall and imposing man, with sharp grey eyes and golden hair. He was always locked in some room with the rest of his advisors, discussing problems, quashing would be rebellions, and other problems in the kingdom. When he wasn't, he was often found alone in the royal gardens, usually under the sakura blossom tree, or, trailing his fingers in the pond next to the willow. Those two places had been favorites of my mother, so said Artemis. So, perhaps he was able to remember the good times most when he was at the place closest to my mother's spirit. 

I said that Ciel could've been a good father – except that he wasn't. Oh, don't mistake my words for anything else. I will always think of him as my father. He was obviously a good and kind man, generally speaking, and he very much obviously loved my mother more then life itself. I suppose that I was enough reason to stay alive, but not enough reason to stop mourning. Who can blame him though? 

Ciel was a good father in that he ensured that I received the best education (though Rei always wondered what good that did me), that I was protected, that I was looked after, and that I had the best. He was not a good father in that he did not care as a father should. His manner was that of somebody interested, but in a detached sort of way. He was interested only because he had to be, no more, no less. He showed some emotion around me, he smiled, but he never, ever, laughed. Never in my presence. He rarely talked to me, but he would listen gravely when ever I said something to him. The only things he ever told me was to behave and work hard, and that I reminded him of my mother. No matter the effort he made, it was obvious that he was always eager to leave. That he had to get out of the area quickly or suffer the consequences, whatever they were. The result of this, combined with all his workload and his daily wanderings, meant that I spent very little time with him. I think that this is my fault too. I could've just as easily sought him out. But I didn't… Luna said that he was a busy man, but I knew better. He couldn't stand looking at me because of who I reminded him of. It was hard for him. He sunk so deeply into his grief that he was soon blinded by what was so obvious to others, and this, is perhaps, where our true story begins. 

The sad thing is that I never ever had the chance to truly learn about my father. 


	2. Chapter 2

_"My dream… I will become the Queen of the Earth. I will marry Prince Endymion, and become his bride." _

"Sounds like a fairy tale. Like a – a – Ami, what's that Earth fairy tale with that sleeping princess? How she is woken up with a kiss?" 

**Chapter 2**

"…And her name was called Pluto, Guardian of Time. She was a very tall and attractive woman, but that was all that was known of her physical appearance. More often then not, if she was somehow spotted, she was always surrounded by heavy mist…" 

As I mentioned before, Luna and Artemis were my father's two closest advisors and my mother's two closest companions when she was alive. Luna was a pretty woman, with long, black wavy hair that were done up into buns rather like my own. She had blue eyes and her pink lips were more often then not, curled up into a smile. Artemis was her companion and he had long, platinum colored hair that was let loose, pale skin and light blue eyes. I can remember Luna telling me that they were from the planet Mau, one far away in a different star system. They themselves were not Sailor Soldiers, though they spoke of their own, Sailor Mau with respect. 

I said that I was never able to truly learn who my father was. We were never close and he never talked to me unless it had to be done. Nobody knew him very well, Luna and Artemis being the exception, and when my mother was alive, the four were said to have been like… 'Peas in a pod.' Still, it was rather surprising for them, when they heard that he had an announcement to make and a huge shock when they heard what it was. They… seemed rather ashamed that they had not seen this coming. They thought that they knew him best. 

I was about fifteen years old at the time, when the changes came. Slowly, though inevitably, they came, and we were powerless to stop them. Ciel was known for his stubbornness as well. His announcement was that he would be remarrying again, to a woman from Earth called 'Morgan'. The Lady Morgan. She had a young daughter, though I didn't know her name. My studies kept me busy so I was not often able to talk to them. Finally, it had been the two who had approached me. 

Like Luna and Artemis, the girls were absolutely mystified as to why my father would do such a thing. Rei seemed rather worried about this matter, though at that time, none of us heeded her warnings. They thought that he would never get over my mother, and always keep to himself. So we did not think much of it when he brought in the beautiful Earth woman and her just as attractive, if intimidating daughter, and we all did not think of it when they started spending time with us, and having meals with us. 

It was rather a large surprise, then, when my father stood up, cleared his throat, and lovingly looking at the lady, announced their engagement. Only the daughter seemed happy, laughing with delight. From us, there was only a stunned silence. I didn't know what to say; Beryl and I had interacted, but something separated us. An invisible barrier, if you will. Morgan, Beryl's mother, and soon to be Ciel's wife, seemed nice enough. When I think back now though, to that dinner, I'm pretty sure that Artemis and Luna exchanged glances, before returning their gazes to Ciel. I am sure that they knew something was not right, even if I didn't know then. I am quite certain, though, that even if they were father's two most trusted advisors, they still did not hold much sway over him. Nobody else did, except my mother. It seemed that this Morgan would be the second to. 

********** 

I remember a time, when Beryl, the girls and I were spending some time together. We were just talking, lying in the sun, discussing our futures. I didn't think much of it at that time, only that I wanted to go and visit Earth, in all its natural glory. Ami wanted to become a scientist, Minako a singer, and Makoto wanted to become a famous chef. Rei did not say what her dream was. Ciel did not approve of these dreams. He had known them for a long time, and he always made sure to let us know that we were royalty and that we should act like royalty. Princesses did not tramp around in dirt, or entertain (besides through balls and parties), or cook. But, they were our dreams, and while we had them, nothing could go wrong. 

When we asked Beryl what her dream was, she had leaned back onto the grass, sighed rather absentmindedly, and then smiled. It was a smile full of purpose, full of love, full of determination. She would reach for her goal and she would fulfill it. 

"My dream… I will become the Queen of the Earth. I will marry Prince Endymion, and become his bride." 

Makoto rolled onto her side and, with an arched eyebrow asked rather lazily how Beryl was going to accomplish that. Beryl, just gave her a slightly irritated look, before continuing on. 

"Have you seen the Prince Endymion?" she shook her head ruefully when we shook our heads, waving for her to continue on. 

"He… he is very tall… tall, with hair as black as ebony… eyes… the color of sapphires. He's skin is rather pale, though… it might be tanned now. Its summer down there where he is, no doubt he'll be outdoors. He's very well built, very strong, and an excellent swordsman." Beryl sounded so happy. 

"Sounds like a fairy tale. Like a – a – Ami, what's that Earth fairy tale with that sleeping princess? How she is woken up with a kiss?" 

"… Snow White?" 

"Yeah, that. Hair black as ebony, skin white as snow. Except that Endy's a male." Beryl had obviously not been very appreciative of Makoto's teasing of her prince. 

Makoto had apologized straight after that; she was not a spiteful person, though Beryl was not very gracious in accepting it. I couldn't blame her then; I wouldn't have appreciated being teased about somebody I cared for. 

Trying to ease the tension, Minako had begged Ami for yet another story, to which the latter had sighed good-naturedly, wondering out loud what it would take to satisfy us before launching into the sad story of Sailor Pluto: Guardian of the Time Gates. Even Beryl had perked up at the idea of another story. 

As we lay there, I thought about her dream, of the way she spoke of her Prince Endymion, and of how she would be a good wife and Queen to him, and how they would be happy and have two children; one boy and one girl. 

"- She stands there at the gates for eternity. Years, decades, centuries and millenniums will go by but Sailor Pluto will never –" I interrupted Ami then. I turned onto my side, reached out and grasped Beryl's hand. 

"When you go to Earth," I said, "Please take me with you. I want to see what Earth is truly like. And when we get there, you will marry Prince Endymion, and become the Queen of the Earth, and I will be your bridesmaid." Beryl stared at me, in silent, before she smiled slowly, and beautifully. 

"Yes," she said. "I will take you with me, and you will be my bridesmaid." 

********** 

We were in the library, studying, when we first heard the news. I was trying to read through a book on politics (terribly boring!), the others doing some homework, and it was silent. We sat by a large window that overlooked the gardens, and it was around midday, which gave us plenty of light. The library door opened, and Ami shifted slightly on her seat. She didn't really like interruptions when she was reading any of her books. 

"Maids. Gossiping." The way Rei said those words did not make them sound any nicer then they were meant to be. Indeed, the maids were. We could hear curious whispers, and an occasionally shocked 'Really?!' Minako shifted; she loved hearing about any news. She listened, and she talked with us about it, but that was the extent of it. Makoto was like her, to a lesser extent, and so was Ami, though she often denied it when it was pointed out. Rei just did not care. 

_"It's strange… King… new…" _

"But- that's… truly?!" 

"Are you certain?!" 

"Yes! … Certain… Very…!" 

"Great Selene… they can't truly mean that!!" muttered Minako. Her face was abnormally pale, and I looked up at her curiously. She wasn't afraid, just, very shocked. Her hands were trembling, most likely from excitement. 

"Not Ciel!" this was a surprise. Makoto often referred to my father as 'King', 'the King', 'Majesty', but never just by his personal name unless something was wrong. 

"What about the King?" murmured Ami distractedly. She still had not looked from her book. 

"It might be a misunderstanding. You know how maids are; the, uh, 'information' they give out is never really accurate after the first two runs." Makoto again. She sounded amused at that. 'Runs' were the amount of times gossip went through the 'levels' in the palace. It usually started off with the eavesdropper, for example, a chambermaid, who passed it on to another chambermaid, and so on, until the news reached 'the outside' – say, that of the kitchen girls. That was a 'run'. The longest running rumor involved a Captain and a lesser noblewoman. That had lasted for about 50 runs, going through the different levels several times, and the captain had gone from a mere soldier to that of a prince from an unknown planet, with great powers, and the noblewoman an enchantress, who had somehow bewitched him. 

"Ciel… what have you done…?!" and here was Rei, with her clenched fists so hard that the pen she held broke in her grasp, and her wide, violet eyes as she stared in horror at something unseen to the rest of us. I remember her expression, and her tone all to well. 

_What have you done…?!_

********** 

We saw them later on, walking in the garden. By that time, Minako had managed to procure two names, and a few descriptions of the women. 

Morgan was a tall, lovely woman with milky skin, startlingly red eyes and long, wavy hair. She had a rather deep, throaty voice that no doubt sent shivers down men's necks, and her gaze sent anybody into stutters and stammers. 

Beryl shared the same beauty with her mother, except that her hair was a darker red, and somehow she seemed crueler. Minako told me with a bit of disgust what she heard from a couple of maids. Beryl threw a huge fit and ordered a servant whipped because he had brought her the incorrect pair of shoes. 

The rest of us were a bit dubious about this little piece of information, but Makoto then told us that no matter how unreliable servants could get when it came to gossip, they never exaggerated something as serious as this. When I saw Beryl though, she always had a sweet smile on her face. She was about the same age us. 

Artemis introduced us to them, giving out our full titles. So long, not even Ami could remember all of hers. 

Beryl just smiled politely, but Morgan started gushing over me, going, 

"So you're Ciel's lovely daughter!" it was rather embarrassing, but overall, my very first impression of Morgan wasn't bad. 

Beside me, I felt Rei tense up; she was standing that close to me. I felt, though, that any misgivings of Rei's were just from her imagination – if she were having any in the first place. She couldn't always be correct could she? 


End file.
